Teenage artist's success in pet portrait business

Amelie Walker, from Christchurch, has been creating adorable animal art since she was 11 years old but is now selling bespoke pieces.

The 19-year-old said her father posted her designs on social media when she was in school and soon started getting personalised requests.

“I followed tutorials when I was really young on cats and rabbits, so when I had my profile at 14 that was what I showed,” said Amelie.

“All my family members would ask me to do their pets and I enjoy doing them.”

Amelie added: “I’ve grown the art business more since I finished college and made enough commissions to make it a full-time job.”

She said: “As much as I love doing art, it sometimes gets a bit unsociable sitting in my room everyday, not seeing anyone, so I got a job for sociable purposes.”

Amelie now works as an activity’s assistant at a care home in Southbourne, teaching elderly people who have lost mobility with their hands how to do art.

However, she continues her business alongside her job and said people’s reaction to her art is ‘amazing’.

She said: “One woman cried happy tears when she saw it.

“It’s just been so good and it can really make a difference to some people.”

Another customer said their dad was brought to tears when gifted a portrait that brought their late dog to life.

Amelie is looking to continue her passion in art and helping others, with a psychology degree in the hopes of becoming an art therapist.

She added to the dismay of her parents and people she knows, she is not looking at studying art.

She said: “As much as I love art, I don’t know what going to university and getting a degree in it would benefit me, because I’m already doing the things I want to do.”

Before getting stuck in with her studies next September, Amelie is saving to travel around Thailand with her partner.

She offers acrylic, gouache, pencil or charcoal portraits for pets or people on her Amelie Walker Facebook page.